‘Horrible tragedy’: Weekend storms kill 2 children in the Northeast
Both deaths were ruled as accidents as gusty winds knocked down trees across the Northeast. Additionally, New York recorded its first tornado of the year.
High winds from a weekend storm caused a tree limb to fall in Lower Southampton Township, Pennsylvania, on April 24. It led to the death of a 2-year-old boy.
A multiday severe weather outbreak turned deadly in Pennsylvania this past weekend. At least two children were pronounced dead after dangerous thunderstorms unleashed gusty winds, heavy rain and tornadoes across parts of the Northeast Saturday.
Daniel Lee Beiler, a 12-year-old from New Providence, Pennsylvania, was killed when a tree came falling down during Saturday's storms, WGAL reported. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. EDT in New Providence, about 55 miles west of Philadelphia.
According to the Lancaster County Coroner's Office, Beiler died from a traumatic head injury and his death has been ruled accidental, Local21News reported.
Those same storms were also responsible for the death of a 2-year-old boy in Lower Southampton Township, Pennsylvania, which is roughly 16 miles north of Philadelphia. The boy was outside with his mother and older sibling when a strong wind gust swept through the area, causing a 25– to 30-foot tree limb to snap and strike the child in the head, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia reported.
Police said the family called 911, but by the time officers got to the house, it was too late and the boy was pronounced dead.
A drone shot of the Lower Southampton Township, Pennsylvania, neighborhood, where a 2-year-old boy died on Saturday after a tree limb fell on him. (6ABC)
The Bucks County Coroner's Office ruled the child's death accidental and said it was caused by a head injury resulting from the falling tree branch, FOX29 reported. Coroner Meredith J. Buck emphasized that it was an "unforeseen act of nature" and described it as a "horrible tragedy."
"High winds came in ahead of the thunderstorms and split a tree on the property. It fell without warning, striking the child’s head," Buck said to FOX29. "My heart goes out to the family as they grieve this unimaginable loss."
Scott McIlvaine, the operations manager at Joseph McIlvaine Tree and Lawn Service, told WPVI that it only takes a 20-mph wind gust to make a tree branch snap, and during the springtime, trees are more suspectable to breaking.
"They're trying to spring grow, so now when we have a storm and they have leaves on the end and they're full of sap, they just have extra weight in the branches," McIlvaine told WPVI. "It's a sad moment as a father and as an arborist."
Saturday's severe weather also spawned New York's first tornado of the year. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), an EF2 tornado touched down in Sullivan County, New York, located on the border of New York and northeastern Pennsylvania.
The twister touched down just after 6:30 p.m. and was on the ground for roughly 22 minutes. The NWS storm survey estimated the tornado carved a 9.95-mile path and had maximum wind speeds of 115 mph.
No injuries or deaths were reported from the twister, although several properties sustained damage and numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.
Clay Banks, a Sullivan County resident, used his drone to capture video of the damage Sunday morning. In the photos and videos Banks shared on his Facebook page, debris can be seen strewn about on several properties and an entire grove of trees could be seen knocked over.
"It was probably the craziest weather I've seen in 15 years up here," Banks told ABC7.
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